Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton’s Christmas Day Outfits Are a Gift to Us All

BY ANDREA WURZBURGER DECEMBER 25, 2017 11:27 AM

Meghan Markle might be breaking royal protocol by spending Christmas with her fiancé, Prince Harry, but there’s one protocol she’s sticking to: dressing impeccably for royal outings. Meghan joined the royal family for her very first Christmas Day service, and she’s already proving that she can keep up with her famously fashionable almost-sister-in-law, Kate Middleton.

The soon-to-be family members arrived for Christmas Day services at the Church of St. Mary Magdalene, and the coats alone were probably enough to make the expectant crowd’s wait to see the royal family worth it (some of them had arrived at 2:30 A.M. to catch a glimpse!).

Meghan stepped out wearing a tan wide-collar Sentaler coat and very on-trend circular Chloé bag. She topped of the ensemble with a Philip Treacy fascinator-ish hat, leather gloves, and suede Stuart Weitzman boots.

Kate went super festive in a Christmas tartan Miu Miu coat embellished by a double row of brass buttons and topped off with a delightful alpaca hat by Peruvian Connection. The $2,200 coat is, of course, sold out now, so a very merry Christmas to all you new Kate coat owners indeed.

We already know that the “Meghan Markle Effect” is very real, which means that you should probably act now if you’re trying to show up at New Year’s Eve dinner with your family looking like, well, royalty. (Or, hey, sneak in some very last-minute changes to your Christmas wish list.)

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Kate Middleton, Prince William Hold Hands On The Way To Christmas Service

BY CATHERINE ARMECIN DECEMBER 26, 2017 04:03 AM

Kate Middleton and Prince William recently held hands as they made their way to attend the traditional Christmas church service.

Kensington Palace shared a set of photos of the royal coulple walking to church on Twitter. The family has a tradition of attending the morning service on Christmas Day in Sandringham together.

In the photo, Middleton showed off her growing baby bump in a festive $2,200 Miu Miu coat that is embellished with a double row of brass buttons. The pregnant royal paired it with a black alpaca hat by Peruvian Connection.

In one snap, Prince William can be seen holding Middleton’s right hand. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge rarely hold hands whenever they are in public, thus whenever they do, their fans and followers immediately take notice.

Earlier this month, Prince William and Middleton made headlines due to a rare moment of public display affection. While the couple was being interviewed by BBC’s “Blue Peter,” the Duchess touched her husband’s knees as they playfully joked around.

According to some, Prince William and Middleton’s sweetness reminded them of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. The newly engaged couple is not shy when it comes to showing their affection for each other in public.

In fact, when the “Suits” star and the royal made their first public appearance as a couple at the 2017 Invictus Games in Toronto, they were photographed holding hands. It was not the first nor the last time that Prince Harry and Markle held hands in public as they were later spotted walking hand-in-hand during several occasions.

According to Robin Kermode, holding hands is a deliberate act of showing that one’s relationship is solid. However, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge “do not feel the need to prove their love” to the public.

“It is very clear that William and Kate are emotionally close, however, they do not seem to feel the need to prove their love – particularly when on official state business. They come across as a strong, independent couple and while they are always on show, they do not feel the need to show their love for each other to the world,” Kermode said of Prince William and Middleton.

Prince William and Middleton are expecting their third baby next year. “The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are delighted to confirm they are expecting a baby in April 2018,” the palace announced.

Kate Middleton and Prince William hold hands as they walked their way along with the other royals for the traditional Christmas service. Pictured: Lady Louise Wind-sor, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Middle-ton, Duchess of Cambridge and Meghan Markle attend Christmas Day Church service at Church of St Mary Magdalene on Dec. 25, 2017 in King’s Lynn, England. Photo: Getty Images/Chris Jackson

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The Duchess of Cambridge’s Christmas hat is sold by a Kansas company. Here’s where to get it

BY LISA GUTIERREZ DECEMBER 26, 2017 03:15 PM

The Duchess of Cambridge’s clothes make fashion headlines every time she steps out in public, but especially on big occasions like Christmas.

It just so happens that the alpaca fur toque she wore to church on Christmas day is sold by a company based in Tonganoxie, Kan., the company shared on Instagram Monday.

She wore the hat with a red-and-green Miu Miu peacoat that hid her baby bump and Tod’s black suede pumps, according to PopSugar.

The hat has been in the company’s collection since the 1990s, says Elise Boroian, director of marketing and brand strategy for Peruvian Connection.

Kate and her mother, Carole Middleton, have been customers of the company, which has a retail store in London, for years, said Boroian, who was careful not to offer many details out of respect for the family’s privacy.

“We were so excited to see the photo on Christmas day. It’s the first time we’ve seen her in that particular hat,” she said.

The Vallnord Alpaca Fur Hat - “absolutely one of our signature hats,” Boroian said - comes in black, snow, caramel, espresso and gray. It costs $99 and is available both in stores and online, Boroian said.

Peruvian Connection was founded as a small mail-order operation in 1976 by the mother-daughter team of Biddy and Annie Hurlbut, according to the company’s website.

It now has seven retail stores, including one in Kansas City’s Crestwood Shops at 335 E. 55th St., and in London, Boroian said.

Britain’s Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, smiled at well-wishers following the tradi-tional Christmas Day church service at St. Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham, England on Monday. The hat she wore is sold by Peruvian Connection, based in Tonganoxie, Kan. Alastair Grant Associated Press

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Hat worn by duchess made in Kansas

DECEMBER 27, 2017 1:37 PM

TONGANOXIE, Kan. — The Christmas Day wardrobe for the Duchess of Cambridge included a touch of Kansas.

The Lawrence Journal-World reports that Kate Middleton wore a Vallnord alpaca fur hat from Tonganoxie-based Peruvian Connection on Monday to a Christmas service in Sandringham, England.

The company has a store in London, and six in the U.S., including one in Kansas City, Missouri. Peruvian Connection has operated in rural Tonganoxie for more than 40 years.

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